I was super intrigued by this tea and couldn’t resist ordering it. I’ve had Jaffa Cake inspired teas before, but I just had to taste Arthur’s interpretation of this seemingly classic British treat/snack given the fact he’s, y’know, British…
The dry leaf smells like all three of the key components – coffee, chocolate, and orange. In that order as well; but more of a sweet coffee and milk chocolate that reminds me of a Coffee Crisp! It’s because of that impression that I found myself a little surprised, when I drank the steeped tea, to find it was actually the orange note that stood out the most! Very bright, sharp and a little bit pithy like an orange peel. I enjoyed the tea but it didn’t seem to mesh seamlessly with the creamier chocolate and mild coffee notes that comprised the rest of the cup. It was almost just a bit too strong of an orange for me.
It was still a nice tea, but this might be my least favourite rooibos based blend I’ve tried from Arthur Dove so far – but I’m excited to continue exploring this one and see if my impression changes now that I know what to expect.